Not according to the Pirates' MO. Their highest paid player is at 7 million, and their payroll is already some 40% higher than last year. Of course, paying to get over .500 and paying to win a World Series are two completely different circumstances.

They probably want neither big future contracts nor do they want to give up much a deal. Someone like Nate Schierholz perhaps makes more sense to them in RF, although they do need a right-handed bat.

I'm all for getting something out of the Rangers for him or any other team that has prospects to spare and $$$ to spend on his contract. I like what Alex has had to offer since the start of 2012, but we are hampering out future keeping him. We don't have enough right now to succeed, and by the time we do, his contract will be up/about up.

The Sox will definitely take a hit in attendance from making these trades, but considering some of the salaries we pay, we can save a lot of $$$.

I'm all for getting something out of the Rangers for him or any other team that has prospects to spare and $$$ to spend on his contract. I like what Alex has had to offer since the start of 2012, but we are hampering out future keeping him. We don't have enough right now to succeed, and by the time we do, his contract will be up/about up.

The Sox will definitely take a hit in attendance from making these trades, but considering some of the salaries we pay, we can save a lot of $$$.

I like Rios, but he's not a fan favorite like Baines, Frank, Robin or Paulie. I doubt trading Rios (or any of the relievers) will result in fan backlash.

__________________The universe is the practical joke of the General at the expense of the Particular, quoth Frater Perdurabo, and laughed. The disciples nearest him wept, seeing the Universal Sorrow. Others laughed, seeing the Universal Joke. Others wept. Others laughed. Others wept because they couldn't see the Joke, and others laughed lest they should be thought not to see the Joke. But though FRATER laughed openly, he wept secretly; and really he neither laughed nor wept. Nor did he mean what he said.

__________________
The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done." -George Carlin

I like Rios, but he's not a fan favorite like Baines, Frank, Robin or Paulie. I doubt trading Rios (or any of the relievers) will result in fan backlash.

Sorry Frater, I should have clarified. The fans will see us likely lose more games if they see 4...6...8 guys gone and replaced with call-ups. You're right, the guys we drop aren't likely to be our top fan favorites. Also, we could call up a few guys and go on a streak.

Not including what we would owe on getting rid of someone like Dunn, I could see approx. $80 million coming off the books next year between trades and FA losses: Konerko, Peavy, Rios, Dunn, Ramirez, Thornton, Crain, and Floyd. Will we get rid of all of those guys? Probably not. Could we? There's a chance.

I've been begging for a decent catcher in the draft. Maybe there will be a good one with our high pick next year. I doubt we get a decent catching prospect here in return. With our success in getting SP seemingly out of thin air with Coop, I'd rather get someone who can start up the middle somewhere in late 2014 or 2015.

I like Rios, but he's not a fan favorite like Baines, Frank, Robin or Paulie. I doubt trading Rios (or any of the relievers) will result in fan backlash.

I have never grown attached to Rios. Just never really cared for the dude or enjoyed his attitude on the field like Mags or Dye. The same can be said for Dunn and Alexei. I hope the Sox can get a nice haul for him.

If we could dump Keppinger that would be awesome. He's one of the most selfish players I've seen wear a White Sox uniform with his desire to be known as someone who doesn't strikeout trumping a more productive offensive approach. Plus he's not a good fielder and doesn't have energy.

Considering how many low production strikeout kings we have who swing homer or nothing all the time, that's pretty amusing.

Keppinger is a contact hitter, and we need more of them, not less.

Being selfish would be poor hitting due to hacking all over the zone and power swinging for stats which is what we're seeing from Dunn, Viciedo and Flowers, etc. and not what we're seeing with Keppinger's "put the ball in play" approach.

Keppinger should be moved for his contract, not for his hitting, which would fit in fine if we had any kind of productive hitters in the order other than Rios.

Considering how many low production strikeout kings we have who swing homer or nothing all the time, that's pretty amusing.

Keppinger is a contact hitter, and we need more of them, not less.

Being selfish would be poor hitting due to hacking all over the zone and power swinging for stats which is what we're seeing from Dunn, Viciedo and Flowers, etc. and not what we're seeing with Keppinger's "put the ball in play" approach.

Keppinger should be moved for his contract, not for his hitting, which would fit in fine if we had any kind of productive hitters in the order other than Rios.

Completely agree.

__________________"I have the ultimate respect for White Sox fans. They were as miserable as the Cubs and Red Sox fans ever were but always had the good decency to keep it to themselves. And when they finally won the World Series, they celebrated without annoying every other fan in the country." Jim Caple, ESPN (January 12, 2011)

"We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the (bleeding) obvious is the first duty of intelligent men." — George Orwell